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Intelligence Reforms in Australia

Introduction

Australia's Intelligence Community History

In response to the lead up to the First World War efforts started for the development of Australia's intelligence community. To support the US and Australian and US forces in the pacific after the Second World War, the first part of what today became Australian Intelligence Community's sigint organisation. In 1947 The Defence Signals Bureau formally came into existence.

The main focus was on communications by soviet government following the Second World War. Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) was established in 1949 after concerns about Australia's own. Pursing Russian spies was its primary purpose.

The Department of Defence in 1952 developed Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS). Being modelled on its British counter part called MI6 its main focus was conducting peacetime operations and collecting humint. In 1954 ASIS moved towards a different set of responsibility which is now known as the foreign minister but the existence of Australian Secret Intelligent Service was not publicly acknowledged until 1977.

Two assessment agencies are included in the Australian Intelligence Community. Department of defence from the time of Second World War had an assessment intelligent arm. Today what we know as Defence intelligence organisation (DIO) was before Joint intelligence bureau following the war after which in 1970 became the Joint intelligence organisation. In 1978 office of national assessments (ONA) as an independent agency was established.

Geospatial Organisation (DIGO) and Defence Imagery are the latest members of the Australian Intelligence Community. Until 1988 Imagery intelligence was a part of DIO and had existed since 1964. It was decided to create as a new separate agency when its importance increased. DIGO was formed in 2000 after various imagery organisations were combined formally.

History of intelligence reform in Australia

The Australian intelligence community has had many investigations into various attributes of community and changed a number of times over the years. And all these inquiries and changes have effected in continuing support of government for the Australian intelligence community. Hope Royal Commissions (1974 to 1977) and again in (1984) and the Flood Inquiry (2004) are the three which had the most lasting effects.

Hope expressed in his first justice hope (1974) a variety of key principles which are still in the roots of Australian intelligence community even today. The main theme included that Australia must have a robust and independent capability of assessment and collection. Intelligence assessment should be separate from intelligence collection; also, policy formation should be separate from intelligence assessment. Different agencies should have the capabilities of Sigint and Humint. ONA should review Australia's activities of foreign intelligence in addition to assessing international developments which are of major importance to Australia. And ONA should also enjoy a statutory independence as a principle assessment agency. Law enforcement and ASIO's assessment and collection of security intelligence should be separate. Intelligence community should have an appropriate ministerial oversight. The intelligence activities performed by the intelligence agencies should all be in accordance to the Australian law. Hope royal commission (1984) was all about maximising the accountability and transparency of the ...